Webb Simpson may have talked his way onto U.S. Ryder Cup team with late-night text messages

Now the story can be told -- Webb Simpson may have talked his way onto the U.S. Ryder Cup team by way of a post-midnight text to captain Tom Watson.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Simpson discussed failing to qualify for one of the first nine spots on the squad and having to rely on Watson's three wild-card picks.

He said that lying awake in the early morning hours of Sept. 2, the day Watson was scheduled to finalize the U.S. roster, he grew anxious.

"I thought, I had not heard from him. I probably would have heard from him by now, and I've got nothing to lose," he recalled.

The player said he texted something along the lines of "I know it's a really tough decision." To his surprise, he said, Watson not only texted right back, acknowledging the difficulty of the decision, but also called about 30 minutes later.